Abstract

This article considers the relationship between Machiavelli’s Prince and the circumstances surrounding its composition. Its contextual reading suggests that the view of Machiavelli as a pessimist, a critic of Renaissance humanism, and a compliant counsellor to princes merits rethinking. Situated in light of Machiavelli’s professional troubles and Florentine politics in 1512–1513, The Prince reveals Machiavelli’s stubborn optimism and his polemical denunciation of Italy’s rulers.

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